🏋️‍♂️ Jake Gyllenhaal’s 'Roadhouse' workout: Should you try it?

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Today’s newsletter is presented by RISE from XWERKS. This powerful supplement is packed with science-backed ingredients to help you feel energized for your next workout. Buy it here.

Here’s what’s going on in today’s newsletter:

• A critique of Jake Gyllenhaal’s Roadhouse workout

• The best natural ingredients for a pre-workout

• The very best pull-up variations

Celebrity Fitness

Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?

Roger Ebert is no longer with us, but in the role of strength coach, Zack Telander takes up the critic’s mantle and reviews the workouts Jake Gyllenhaal used to get in shape for the new remake of Roadhouse.

The original 1989 release featured the ripped dancer’s body of super-stud Patrick Swayze (who was also an incredible athlete). To play a fighter believably, Gyllenhaal worked with celebrity trainer Jason Walsh, who helped the actor craft the physique necessary for the part and ingrain the movement patterns of a knockout artist.

Telander didn’t go so far as to say he hated, hated, hated this flashy celebrity-style workout, but he thinks many things could be cleaned up. Check out the full review and see what you can learn from Gyllenhaal’s transformation.

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Supplements

You Natty, Bro?

Pre-workouts are among the best-selling fitness supplements in the world. But suppose you want to add even more oomph to your gym routine. In that case, BarBend has a solution for you in the form of this listicle on the best natural pre-workout ingredients for a wholesome gym pump.

Sometimes, simple is better, and there’s no simpler way to get your caffeine buzz going than with some natural green tea extract. Simple sugar is also, umm, simple, and since it’s the body’s favorite fuel, there’s nothing wrong with incorporating it into your routine. Just beware, though, that you’ll want to opt for something like honey or agave syrup rather than refined table sugar. Just add some to fruit or oats for a powerful kick.

Fill your days with a natural high by judiciously inspecting the label of your favorite pre-workouts for these ingredients.

Exercise Tips

Step Up to Pull-Ups

From the embarrassment of elementary school gym class to the most hardcore gyms in the world, pull-ups are always a staple movement. But if you’ve progressed far past the required reps for the Presidential Fitness Award, or if you’re coming back into the gym to get fit, the variety of pull-ups at your disposal is dizzying. That’s exactly why we’ve curated some of our favorite variations below. 

Just like you wouldn’t throw five plates on the bar your first time in the gym, there’s no need to feel like you have to execute strict pull-ups on day one. Jumping pull-ups, dead hangs, and inverted rows will help beginners reap the same benefits as traditional pull-ups. Then, when you’ve mastered those, you can play around with bands, eccentrics, and hand positions for more advanced variations. Whatever your skill level, peruse our list of the best pull-up variations below.

Everything Else

Get Ripped

• Beach season is right around the corner, and The Ripped Report newsletter has all the bodybuilding tips and tricks you need to shed your shirt at the shore without fear. Subscribe today for your free dose of muscle-building goodness.  

• The leg press has been stuffed into the corner in the modern internet-fueled obsession with the barbell squat. But to completely ignore the leg press is to ignore some serious gains. Head here for a full primer on this wonderful muscle machine.

• Vitamin D is one of the most prescribed supplements for general health. Make sure you’re doing right by your body by taking the right dosage.